The Education Center is a part of The Fenway Institute, the research, training, and health policy division of Fenway Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, and one of the world’s largest LGBT-focused health centers.

Both Healthy People 2020, a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued in 2010, and The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, a 2011 report by the Institute of Medicine, found that LGBTQ people are at increased risk for a number of health disparities when compared to the general population, including:

LGBT youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide.

LGBT youth are more likely to be homeless.

Lesbian women are less likely to receive preventive cancer screenings.

Gay men are at higher risk of HIV and other STDs, especially Black and Latino gay men.

Lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be overweight or obese.

Transgender people have a high prevalence of HIV/STDs, violence victimization, mental health issues, and suicide, and are less likely to have health insurance than non-transgender people.

Older LGBT people face additional barriers to health because of isolation and a lack of social services and culturally competent providers.

LGBT populations have disproportionately high prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use.

These health disparities are linked to a long history of stigma and discrimination for LGBT people, but can be addressed with increased training of health care providers, and with more research on these populations. Our goal is to make health care services more welcoming to LGBT people, and to assure that all patients receive sensitive and appropriate preventive, medical, and behavioral health care.

Who We Are

We are a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, educators, and public health professionals with expertise in LGBT health research and care. The Education Center is a part of The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, based in Boston, MA and we work with a national network of faculty, advisors, and collaborators representing medical and public health universities, community health centers, and leading government and non-profit organizations.